title: Occurrence and characterization of Escherichia coli O157 and other serotypes in raw meat products in Morocco.
abstract: In this study, 100 raw meat samples were collected from 15 local Moroccan butcheries in five different areas of the city of Rabat during a period of 4 months. Overall, 7 of 15 butcheries from three areas of the city yielded strains of Escherichia coli O157. Single isolates from 9 (9%) of 100 raw meat samples were biochemically and serologically confirmed as E. coli O157. Using molecular techniques, two strains were positive for the Shiga toxin, with two additional strains containing an attaching-effacing gene. All potentially virulent serotypes isolated from these meat samples showed distinct pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles. Based on antibiotic susceptibility testing, more than 70% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and clavulanic acid-amoxicillin. Moreover, one strain was resistant to more than three antibiotics. Our study represents the first survey of E. coli O157 and related serotypes in raw meat products in Morocco.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Department of Food Sciences, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71100 Foggia, Italy. l.beneduce@unifg.it
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beneduce
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spano
authors.forename: Ari Q
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Nabi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lamacchia
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: Redouane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aouni
authors.forename: Abed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009018:Morocco; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012703:Serotyping; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D022603:Shiga Toxins